Connect360: Devoted to Prayer

• Lesson 3 in the Connect360 unit “Prayer That Moves Heaven: Power With Purpose” focuses on Acts 2:42-47.

As the new church suddenly came together, they didn’t have the luxury of going out and buying new literature and Bibles. Instead, they had the testimony of the apostles, who probably spent a great deal of time testifying to what Jesus had done and said. It was a rich source of material.

In the Gospel according to John, the Bible tells us two things that let us know how rich and deep the lessons were being taught. Jesus had promised his disciples the Holy Spirit would remind them of everything he had said (John 14:26) and that the Gospels only shared a small portion of what Jesus had said and done (John 20:30). What better teachers could the new converts have than those who had lived and walked with Jesus for three years?

Committed to Christ

This disparate group of people had one thing in common—their commitment to Christ. As the Holy Spirit entered into the 3,000, the Spirit brought them into a common identity that overcame any possible barriers that may have arisen. Out of their common experience of knowing Jesus, they discovered they had more in common than not, and they were no longer only a group of people but were part of the family of God.

Some believe the mention of the breaking of bread in this verse speaks to the observance of the Lord’s Supper. More likely, this is a reference to an agape meal. That was a meal shared with the church family, similar to a churchwide fellowship. In doing so, they got to know each other better and were able to share their faith walk with each other.

They also were devoted to prayer. The new believers had been described as “God-fearing Jews” in Acts 2:5. This commitment grew out of their old practices but must have taken on a new life as their prayers were now assisted by the work of the Holy Spirit within them. They understood the need to be in communication with the Father through the Spirit in order to learn more about the Son. They understood the need to speak to God openly about their needs, their questions,and their concerns. They understood the need to listen to the voice of God through the Spirit as they continually sought to follow his ways in Christ.

Seeing God working in a church that is devoted to him can open our eyes to see him in new ways.

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